Upcoming Collaborative Cancer Ground Rounds features gastrointestinal expert

On June 13, Gengyi (Lana) Zou, MD, PhD, who is a gastrointestinal medicine oncology researcher at MD Anderson Cancer Center, will lead the next Collaborative Cancer Grand Rounds on “Investigating the Biology of Gastric Cancer.”

Zou’s presentation will include her research on biomarker discovery through next-generation and single-cell sequencing technologies, with a focus on gastric cancer. She will also discuss how molecular profiling enables patient stratification and the development of targeted therapies. Zou plans to highlight the use of PDOs and PDX models—particularly the establishment of an ecDNA-positive PDO biobank—for drug screening and outline future directions focused on understanding tumor heterogeneity and developing stage-specific, biomarker-guided treatment strategies.

"I’m excited to present my research and future vision at UACC, and I look forward to engaging discussions and potential collaborations to advance biomarker-guided therapies for gastric cancer," Zou said.

Zou was recommended by Cancer Center member Juanita Merchant, PhD/MD, associate professor in cellular and molecular medicine and the Cancer Biology Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, co-leader of the Cancer Biology Research Professor, and chair of the Genetics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program.

“Dr Zou’s innovative work using sequencing and organoid modeling to discover the molecular mechanisms driving gastric adenocarcinoma is invaluable, and this upcoming ground round discussion should be highly engaging,” Merchant said. “Since the incidence of gastric adenocarcinoma among younger people throughout the world has accelerated, Dr. Zou’s development of novel therapeutic strategies is now more important than ever.”

The CCGR is from noon to 1 p.m. in the UACCC Kiewit Auditorium or Zoom. Contact Ann Bridges for the password.